Alex Cora Defends David Price After Sarcastic Press Conference: 'I Actually Laugh At It'
BOSTON (CBS) -- For whatever reason, David Price decided to dedicate his postgame press conference on Monday to anybody who questioned his toughness over the past month or so. On Tuesday, his manager had his back.
"He took a line drive yesterday off the chest or whatever, and he kept pitching," Cora said of Price. "So ... he shows up every five days, man. And he competes. Since day one, I saw the bullpens and what he does to prepare every day and if that's soft, give me five soft guys every day. Because he can pitch. Yeah."
Cora launched into a deeper discussion about what it takes to compete at the MLB level.
"People don't understand what goes into the process to compete at this level," Cora said. "It's not that easy -- not only physically, but to prepare for a game, to look at scouting reports and compete against the best of the best. This is MLB. It's not like, my brother who was in the news yesterday -- yeah, I gotta talk to him -- he always told me, he's like, 'There's a reason there's A-ball, Double-A, Triple-A. It's not Four-A. It's MLB. It's a lot different because it's the best of the best.' And to compete at this level, it takes a lot. And he does that in a daily basis."
Cora was asked if he was concerned at all with what Price said on Monday.
"Nah, not really. I mean, I don't know. You gotta ask him," Cora said. "I actually laugh at it. I mean, sometimes I'm sarcastic. You guys know it."
Cora, who was a part of the World Series-winning Red Sox team in 2007, recalled a moment from his playing days that can apply to the current day.
"We don't let the circumstances around the team dictate who we are. It hasn't happened. I read, I listen, I know what's going on. But one thing I like them to be is genuine, and there's nothing wrong with that," Cora said. "Throughout the years that I remember, there's been a lot of genuine players in this organization. I still remember October 18, 2007, when Manny [Ramirez] said, 'If we lose tomorrow [in Game 5 of the ALCS], it's not the end of the world.' It was a big deal. But he meant it. It was the truth. There's nothing wrong with being honest. That's something we talk about. Be genuine, responsible, and honest, and transparent. I'm good with it."
As for whether or not Price pays too much attention to what critics say, Cora said that can be a positive.
"There's a lot of guys in the big leagues that do that. I saw a big guy yesterday in New York that tipped his hat when he got booed. I played with one here -- Curt Schilling. He loved it. If that's what gets him going, so be it. One thing's for sure: He's healthy and he's throwing the ball well, and he'll be in Houston on Saturday competing. And we love the way he competes."
